Campus Couture Fashion Show takes stage Friday

Published May 10, 2017

Janis Carr

They meticulously inspected every seam. They turned garments inside out to check the quality of the facing and hems. They rubbed materials between their fingers, ran their hands across corsets and looked for loose threads.

At the end of a long night, three judges decided whose fashions earned high marks heading into Friday’s Campus Couture, the annual fashion show presented by Cal State Long Beach students. The original designed garments will be worn by the students on the runway during the annual show at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center.

Suzanne Marshall, who has directed 29 of these shows, said trends dictate what fashions the students design.

The designs reflected today’s styles, with plenty of flowing tulle, brocade, short hemlines and fake fur. There were corduroy jackets with red rose patches, a silver-and-black gown that featured both leather and lace, and a light-blue silk dress that went high, low and high again.

The judges were given five collections to study – couture, knits, corsets, draping and reclaimed. Each garment was given a score, which was tallied to determine class awards.

“I’m looking for attention to detail, whether they cleaned up loose thread,” said judge Kim Snyder, a CSULB alum who now works for Hybrid Apparel in Cypress. “You want to check the tension of the threads and I look at how well it was finished inside and out.

“I also look to see if they used the right fabric for the design they were going for.”

Fellow alum Katie Sloan also stressed the importance of original designs and whether it was executed properly.

“I look at construction and whether the quality is up to par,” said Melissa Alvarez, who works in costuming for Disneyland. “You look at hems, sleeves. You want to see originality. It’s nice to see everyone’s interpretation.”